You will need a 23cm round, deep, cake pan, greased and baselined with parchment paper.
Serves 8-12
3 eggs
300g caster sugar
140g light brown soft sugar
250ml sunflower oil
425g plain flour
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
250g chopped banana (from about 3-4 bananas)
225g canned pineapple pieces in light syrup, drained well
100g soft shredded coconut (do not replace with desiccated coconut; frozen shredded coconut from Asian supermarkets can be used)
100g shelled pecans, crushed, plus about 150g crushed, to decorate
1 tbsp dark rum
Cream cheese Icing
180g unsalted butter, softened
250g icing sugar
2 tsps golden syrup
800g cream cheese
2 tsps vanilla extract
Preheat an oven to 160 degrees/gas mark 4.
Using an electric mixer with paddle or beater attachment (or an electric whisk), whisk the eggs and both sugars together. While whisking, add the oil in a steady stream until fully combined.
In another bowl, combine the flour, all the spices and the bicarbonate of soda and sift twice. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix slowly until just combined.
Add the bananas, pineapple pieces, coconut and pecans and mix until well combined. Stir in the rum. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted in the middle should come out with almost no crumbs attached, and the middle of the cake, when pressed, should spring back slightly instead of sink. Bake for an additional five to 10 minutes if necessary.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Slide a table knife all around the edge to loosen the cake, then remove from the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for one hour.
To make the cream cheese icing, using an electric mixer with paddle or beater attachment (or an electric whisk), beat the butter, sugar and golden syrup until the mixture is lightened in colour and fluffy in texture. Add the cream cheese and vanilla extract and beat well.
Cut the cooled cake horizontally into two equal layers, but be careful, as the pineapple and pecans can tear the cake. Put one cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread a layer of cream cheese icing over the cake. Place the remaining layer of cake on top and spread the rest of the icing all over the cake with a spatula.
Cover the bottom half of the outside of the cake with crushed pecans.
From Tea With Bea, by Bea Vo. Photograph Kate Whitaker. Published by Ryland Peters & Small (£16.99)